Let me be blunt: After three years of running vacation rentals in Edinburgh, I was haemorrhaging money to Airbnb and Booking.com. Sure, they brought me guests. But at 15-20% commission per booking? It was brutal.
Last year, I made a decision that changed everything. I started building my own direct booking channel. Not as a replacement for OTAs—I'm not crazy—but as a way to recapture guests who'd already stayed with me. The result? I reduced my OTA dependency by 40% and saved over £8,000 in commission fees in just 6 months.
Here's exactly how I did it, and how you can replicate this strategy for your own properties.
This was my wake-up call: I had over 200 five-star reviews on Airbnb. Guests loved my places. Many asked to book directly next time. But I had zero way to contact them outside the platform. Airbnb owns that relationship. Not me.
Think about it: You're paying 15% commission for every booking. But it gets worse. When that guest comes back for their second, third, or fourth stay? You're paying Airbnb again. And again. You're renting their customers, not building your own.
Quick Math:
A guest who books your £150/night property for 3 nights = £450 revenue. Airbnb takes 15% = £67.50 in commission. If that guest books with you 3 times a year for 3 years? You've paid Airbnb over £600 in commission for ONE guest.
I know what you're thinking: "But Airbnb won't let me collect guest emails!" True. But there's a workaround that's 100% legitimate and doesn't violate any terms of service.
The secret? Guest WiFi.
Here's what I do now: Every property has a simple WiFi login page. When guests connect (which they all do within 10 minutes of arriving), they enter their email to access WiFi. That's it. Completely legal. GDPR compliant. And it captures every single guest—not just the person who booked.
When a group of 6 friends books your property, Airbnb only gives you the booker's contact. But guess what? All 6 people connect to your WiFi. That's 6 potential repeat customers instead of 1.
In my first 3 months using this system, I captured 340 guest emails across my 3 properties. That's 340 people I can now market to directly.
Collecting emails is only step one. Here's how I converted those contacts into direct bookings:
As soon as a guest connects to WiFi, they get a welcome email with:
This immediately positions you as helpful and sets up the next interaction.
After checkout, I send an automated email asking for an Airbnb/VRBO review (yes, still important for visibility). But here's the key: I also include a line about booking direct next time with a 10% discount.
Once a month, I send my email list exclusive offers:
The results? In the past 6 months:
Total Savings: £8,860 in 6 months
And that's just the beginning. As my email list grows, so does my direct booking revenue. This is recurring, compound savings.
No. You're not soliciting bookings on their platform. You're providing WiFi (a standard amenity) and capturing emails in the process. Guests are already at your property. Airbnb has been paid. You're building a relationship for future bookings.
Yes! Here's why: Guests know they're paying extra on OTAs. If you offer a 10-15% discount for direct bookings, it's a no-brainer. Plus, they already trust you—you've delivered a great experience.
I use the same property management software I used before. The only difference is the booking comes through my website instead of Airbnb. It takes 5 extra minutes per booking. Worth it for £50-£70 in saved commission.
Here's my exact tech stack:
Total monthly cost: £89 for CaptiFi + £19 for Lodgify = £108/month
Break-even: Literally one direct booking per month covers my costs. Everything else is pure profit (or more accurately, avoided commission loss).
Look, I'm not saying abandon Airbnb. That would be daft. They still drive 60% of my bookings. But here's what I am saying:
Every guest who stays with you is a potential repeat customer. If you're not capturing their contact information, you're leaving money on the table. A lot of money.
Start with WiFi email capture. Send a welcome email. Request a review. Make an offer for direct booking. It's that simple.
Will every guest book direct? No. But if even 20% do, you've just cut your commission fees significantly. And unlike OTA algorithms that change overnight, your email list is yours forever.
Pro Tip:
I track my "guest lifetime value." A guest who books through Airbnb once generates £382 in profit (after commission). A guest who books direct 3 times generates £1,215 in profit. That's 3.2x more valuable. Worth the effort to convert them? Absolutely.
I spent three years paying Airbnb thousands in commission fees for customers I'd already served brilliantly. They'd leave five-star reviews. They'd recommend my places to friends. But I had no way to reach them again.
Now? I have a database of 500+ happy guests. When I have availability, I send an email. Within 24 hours, I get bookings. No algorithms. No commission. Just me, my properties, and guests who already know and trust me.
The best time to start building your direct booking channel was three years ago. The second best time is today.
CaptiFi is the WiFi system I use across all my properties. It's plug-and-play, GDPR compliant, and has paid for itself 100x over.
Try CaptiFi Free for 30 DaysEmma Thomson is an Airbnb Superhost managing 3 properties in Edinburgh, Scotland. She's been featured in ShortTermRentalz magazine and speaks at STR conferences about direct booking strategies. When she's not optimizing her listings, she's hiking the Scottish Highlands with her border collie, Wallace.